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Apr 1, 2018

Devotion - Easter 2018 - In the Garden

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily
prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today.
Part of the devotion comes from a sermon
on biblical gardens by Pastor Ron Rush.

Gospel Reading- John
20:11-18 [ESV]

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she
wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two
angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and
one at the feet.13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around
and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus
said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing
him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him
away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus
said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”
(which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to
me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and
say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God
and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Devotion: In the
Garden

In our Gospel text today, Mary does not recognize Jesus and
she thinks He is the Gardener. In the language of the Hebrews, every
place where plants and trees were cultivated with greater care than in the open
field, was called a garden. Jesus’ tomb happened to be in the Garden of Golgotha.
This is one of at least four important gardens mentioned in the bible. In
Genesis is the Garden of Eden. God
created man to have a relationship and to be able to wall and talk with him in
the garden. The Second Garden is the Garden
of Gethsemane. Jesus was familiar with this garden by going
there with his disciples and his “alone” times with the Father. It was in
this garden where Jesus had his greatest struggle but surrendered to the
Father’s plan/will.The Third
Garden is beside Golgotha.
Interestingly, this was a new tomb with no other bodies from family members, as
was the custom. It was needed because the Sabbath was close at hand and they
needed to bury Jesus quickly. This tomb was close and available. The
Fourth Garden is in the Glory
of God. This garden is in Revelation 22. We see again that
the tree of life is mentioned and the new Heaven. These four
gardens can metaphorically represent four stages in a faithful believer’s
sanctification journey. Eden = Sin. Gethsemane = Suffering. Golgotha = Victory.
Glory of God = Eternal life in Paradise. I hope you will spend some time in the
garden with Jesus this Easter.

We pray: “Lord, I need and want to walk with you
today and always…………”